Lifestyle

In this section of the blog, I share experiences and details about other non-tech aspects of life including gardening, carpentry and building projects, and recipes for good food. Use the sub-navigation menu or search to find the post of your choosing.

Telling A Story, Going from YouTube to Business

5 - 7 minute speech the goal: start a youtube channel and build it to make passive income Getting Started did video club in high school, but the "advanced" tech that we had was a VCR had to expand the skill set; use video editing software like...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2022-05-10

Weather Data for May 2022

Weather data from the National Weather Service for May 2022
A 2 minute read | posted on 2022-05-02

Stop Doing Traffic The American Way, Toastmasters Speech Outline

Outline for my speech for the Present A Proposal project
A 3 minute read | posted on 2022-04-19

2022.04.04 the law of life

title: Book Club Notes on "The Law Of Life: Healing from Disease, Depression, and Damaged Relationships" posted: 2022-04-04 updated: 2022-04-18 author: Kenny Robinson, @almostengr keywords: law of life, book club, healthy living, relationships...
A 3 minute read

Weather Data for April 2022

Weather data from the National Weather Service for April 2022
A 6 minute read | posted on 2022-04-02

National Puppy Day 2022, One Year as A Dog Parent

How has the previous year being a dog parent worked out.
A 5 minute read | posted on 2022-03-23

Driving More Efficiently

With the conflict going on between Russia and Ukraine (really Russia bullying Ukraine), the cost of gas continues to go up. This is similar to how gas went up during the 2008 recession and housing crisis. During that time, I was in college. Gas...
A 10 minute read | posted on 2022-03-15 | updated on 2022-03-24

Nissan CVT Transmission

My thoughts on Nissan CVT transmissions based on my experience
A 4 minute read | posted on 2022-03-10

Learn From The Experienced

Outline for the speech from the "Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring"
A 2 minute read | posted on 2022-03-08

Weather Data for March 2022

Weather data from the National Weather Service for March 2022
A 6 minute read | posted on 2022-03-02

Weather Data for February 2022

Weather data from the National Weather Service for February 2022
A 6 minute read | posted on 2022-02-02

Toastmasters, Connect With Your Audience

Objective Below is the outline that I have made for my Toastmasters speech about Connecting With The Audience. In short, the purpose of this speech is to practice connecting with an unfamiliar audience. While speaking, you are to monitor the...
A 3 minute read | posted on 2022-01-25

Montgomery River Region Digital Marketing 6-Weeks Cohort

The local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in partnership with mutliple sponsors, held a digtal marketing course of the span of 6 weeks. The reason that I signed up for the course is to be able to learn more about marketing as this is a...
A 14 minute read | posted on 2022-01-13 | updated on 2022-01-20

21 Days of Fasting

Around the beginning of each year, I do a fast. This post elaborates on what I'll be fasting from
A 8 minute read | posted on 2022-01-10 | updated on 2022-01-24

I Took A Cruise During The Pandemic

Describe my experience of taking a cruise during the pandemic and the measures taken to make sure it did not spread.
A 6 minute read | posted on 2022-01-06

Weather Data for January 2022

Weather data from the National Weather Service for January 2022
A 7 minute read | posted on 2022-01-02

Have A Wedding, Tips and Advice

Some suggestions that I have and things I learned when planning a wedding.
A 12 minute read | posted on 2021-12-19 | updated on 2022-04-14

COVID-19 Booster Outcome

Documented my experience wth getting the COVID booster
A 3 minute read | posted on 2021-12-08

Be Productive When You Can't Sleep

Be Productive When You Can't Sleep Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night. For example, right now as I am writing this post, it is 1:59 AM. I have been awake for probably the last 30 minutes, but physically got out of bed about 3 minutes...
A 3 minute read | posted on 2021-12-02 | updated on 2022-01-21

Weather Data for December 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for December 2021
A 6 minute read | posted on 2021-12-02

Blogging for Dummies

Started reading the book Blogging for Dummies to gain knowledge
A 3 minute read | posted on 2021-11-15

Weather Data for November 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for November 2021
A 5 minute read | posted on 2021-11-02

Weather Data for October 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for October 2021
A 7 minute read | posted on 2021-10-02

Weather Data for September 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for September 2021
A 7 minute read | posted on 2021-09-02

Weather Data for August 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for August 2021
A 8 minute read | posted on 2021-08-02

Fustigate, Toastmasters Word of the Day

I served as grammarian for this Toastmasters meeting
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-07-06

Moving in with My Fiance

My fiance was given an opporunity to post on my blog. She shared how things were going with us living together.
A 5 minute read | posted on 2021-07-02

Weather Data for July 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for July 2021
A 7 minute read | posted on 2021-07-02

Latest Pickings from Garden

Provide the latest update with from the garden and what I have been able to pick
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-06-30

Summer Table Topics Questions for Toastmasters Meeting

I signed up to be the table topics master for the upcoming Toastmasters meeting. Here are the questions that I came up with.
A 3 minute read | posted on 2021-06-29

Three Months With A Dog

I had what I have learned about being a pet parent after having a dog for 3 months.
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-06-22

Pro Tower Machine Assembly

I share my experience with assembling a Pro Tower Machine that a customer purchased from Academy Sports and Outdoors.
A 5 minute read | posted on 2021-06-12

Creating Multiple Income Stream Notes

Below are the notes that I took during a webinar about how to diversify or increase your income streams. Having multiple income streams is great because if one stream ends or changes, another stream can continue to provide you with income. Ways...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2021-06-12

Maximize Your Layover, Leave The Airport

You can maximize the value of your vacation by also visiting cities that you have a layover in. Just make sure that you have enough layover time.
A 6 minute read | posted on 2021-06-11 | updated on 2022-04-14

Star Space Executive Office Chair Review and Assembly

Problem The chair that I previous had, experienced a lot more wear and tear during the pandemic as I was working from home. Not to mention, the chair had seen better days. It was manufactured in 1965 (really it has the date stamped on the...
A 10 minute read | posted on 2021-06-05

Weather Data for June 2021

Weather data from the National Weather Service for June 2021
A 6 minute read | posted on 2021-06-24

TSA Pre-Check Differences in Non-Precheck Line by Airport

As a registered TSA Pre-Check user, I went through the non-precheck line and noticed differences at each airport.
A 5 minute read | posted on 2021-05-24

Blog Challenge, May 2021

The fiancee and I agreed to a blog challenge. Here's now it turned out and what I learned
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-05-08

How Programmers Can Stay In Shape

Having a desk job could mean that you gain weight if you do not take care of yourself.
A 7 minute read | posted on 2021-05-07

ToastMasters Ice Breaker

Share my experience doing my first speech with my local ToastMasters group.
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-05-05

Garden Update, May 3, 2021

Providing latest information about the garden
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-05-03

Grass Cutting Job as Handy Pro

Wanted to share my expeirence with cutting grass as a Handy Pro service provider.
A 3 minute read | posted on 2021-05-01

Installing EcoBee 3 Lite Thermostat, Uninstall and Reinstall

Uninstall and reinstall Ecobee thermostat for you to see the process.
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-04-17

COVID Vaccination

Talk about what happen and the side effects that I experienced after getting the COVID vaccination
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-04-11 | updated on 2021-04-13

Trex and Tomcat Rat Trap Product Review

Product review on the Trex and Tomcat Rat Trap
A 10 minute read | posted on 2021-04-03

Becoming a Dog Parent

Discussing things that you will have to learn when you become a dog parent
A 4 minute read | posted on 2021-03-30

National Puppy Day 2021

Found a dog and attempted to give it back
A 7 minute read | posted on 2021-03-23

Painting Doorbell Cover for Better Appearance

Painted the doorbell box because I did not like the fact that it stood out on the wall with other items.
A 5 minute read | posted on 2021-03-20

TV Mounting for Handy

Mounted a TV for a customer. I described the details of the job and how it was done.
A 9 minute read | posted on 2021-03-06

Growing Without Planting Seeds

There are greens that are growing in the garden and I didn't plant them there.
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-02-26

DIY Honeywell Wifi Thermostat Installation

I wanted to have a connected thermostat that allowed me greater control for my system as well as allow me to made adjustments when away from the home. The thermostat installed in this video is the Honeywell RTH9585WF Smart Color Thermostat. Video
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-02-20 | updated on 2021-06-22

Starting the Garden for Spring 2021

Talk about what is done after giving the garden a break for the winter time
A 4 minute read | posted on 2020-02-09

Monitor Stand Build

I discuss on how I build a monitor stand for my desk at work
A 1 minute read | posted on 2021-01-30 | updated on 2021-06-04

NSBE RLC Notes

TODO email r3chair , amazon card Comm Zone Workshop need to manage documents communicate information about upcoming events and activities webpage of resources, such as meeting minutes, media library, provide analytical data for the website and...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2020.09.12

NSBE 46th National Convention - Engineering the Revolution

Background This convention was held virtually this year do to the coronavirus. The convention took place from August 19-23, 2020. Given that the convention was hosted online, there were some opportunities to network with others, but not as many...
A 24 minute read | posted on 2020-08-20 | updated on 2020-08-20

What is a Contactor? How does a Contactor work?

Recently I had to replace the contactor on my air conditioner after the last one had a burned wire on it. I discuss the parts of a contactor and how it works. Check out the video! Video Transcript (Unedited) what's going on fellow engineers this...
A 6 minute read | posted on 2020-08-15 | updated on 2020-08-16

Replacing Contactor on Air Conditioner

The air conditioner stopped working at my home. Come to find out, one of the wires had burned off on the contactor, which resulted in a hot house in August. Definitely not something good. Take a look at the video to see how I diagnosed and fixed...
A 9 minute read | posted on 2020-08-08 | updated on 2020-08-16

Build A Simple Firewood Stand

Background I have tress and limbs that periodically fall or need to be cut. The problem that I had is that I did not have anywhere to store the items so that they could properly dry out to be used in the firepit. Thus I built a firewood stand...
A 4 minute read | posted on 2020-08-08 | updated on 2020-08-08

Front Yard Landscaping

Background Customer wanted to update the look on her front yard. She requested that I perform the work. The initial discussion was about replacing a shrub, but expanded into doing more. As you can see, couple of the bushes had died and had been...
A 4 minute read | posted on 2020-07-21 | updated on 2020-07-21

Ceiling Fan Installation with Downrod

I describe the replacement of a ceiling fan for a customer in one of their bedrooms.
A 2 minute read | posted on 2020-07-12 | updated on 2020-07-30

NSBE National Leadership Training, July 2020

Comm Zone Strategic Planning Session 20200708 excellence in membership innovative communication 360 national communication request form - https://eu.jotform.com/form/201458670249156 create our own contact form within the next year, will attempt...
A 6 minute read | posted on 2020-07-07 | updated on 2022-03-22

LSU AG Gardening Course Module 5

Types of Plant Reproduction sexual (seeds) asexual (vegetative) Sexual Reproduction parts of the plants are from the previous module. seeds generate differently between monocot and dicot epicotyl is usually the first thing that shows up out of...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2020-06-24

Replacing Exterior Trim

Background Customer had some trim that was rotting on an exterior door. From what I can tell, all of the water was not being caught by the gutter in some places. As a result, the water would land on the patio after falling off the roof and splash...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2020-05-20 | updated on 2020-07-24

Notes from session @theblackupstart about writing book during quarantine

iamashcash was the speaker step 1: make sure that people want the book survey and research the market first; are there videos on the topic; don't want to write a book on a topic that nobody wants to read "everyone has a book in them" find how...
A 3 minute read | posted on 2020-04-05

Night School Investing Notes

Background After the quarantine started, SchoolHouseU started doing IG Live sessions called Night School. The purpose of these night school classes was to teach people various skills by people that have demonstrated their skills online. This...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2020-03-31 | updated on 2020-08-30

8 Steps to Replace A Toilet Fill Valve

I cover how to replace the fill valve on a toilet that is leaking or faulty.
A 6 minute read | posted on 2020-03-15 | updated on 2020-08-08

Mega Zip at Red Mountain Park

Read about my recent visit to the Red Mountain Park in Birmingham, Alabama
A 6 minute read | posted on 2020.02.19 | updated on 2020.09.06

January 2020 Garden Update

Red Lettuce Today, I removed the red lettuce that I attempted to grow this winter. Normally lettuces and other leafy greens do well during the winter season due to the cooler temperatures and the occasional frost that controls bugs and sweetens...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2020-01-25

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Background Each year, the church that I attend does a fast and prayer at the beginning of the year. For the past two years, I have given up something during the fasting season and kept track of it on my Trello board. This year, I have decided...
A 13 minute read | posted on 2020-01-04

Word of the Year 2020

How I went about choosing a word of the year
A 5 minute read

Greens in Grass

Update for my garden for the weeks of 2019.12.15 and 2019.12.22.
A 2 minute read | posted on 2019-12-28 | updated on 2021-06-01

McGill University Personal Finance Essentials

A friend on social media posted about this online financial course that is available for free from McGill University in Canada. As you can imagine, the course is designed for Canadians, but I found that the concepts, ideas, and terminology could...
A 14 minute read | posted on 2019-12-26

You Still Rake Leaves?

It is that time of year. Weather has changed for the cooler and you have a bunch of leaves in your yard. Are you really going to want to spend time raking them? Probably not. There are various ways to handle leaves when the season change. Let...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2019-12-22 | updated on 2021-06-01

Takeaways from Christopher Robin movie

Every year during the month of November, the church that I attend does a series where movies are used to provide examples and metaphors of the Word. This week's particular movie was "Disney's Christopher Robin". As I was in church, watching this...
A 4 minute read | posted on 2019-11-24 20:26:49

21 Days for a New Habit

Background They say that it takes 21 days to learn a new habit and to break old ones. Therefore, I took 28 days to see what would happen. Was I trying to overachieve by doing more than what was necessary? Nah. Initially, it was going to be 21...
A 5 minute read | posted on 2019-08-15 22:40:33 | updated on 2020-02-01 11:50:01

Reinforce Bookcase with Plywood

Reinforce Bookcase with Plywood Summary In this video, I show how I went about reinforcing a bookcase with a plywood back. The original backing that came with the bookcase was made of cardboard. After a number of moves and relocations, the...
A 4 minute read | posted on 2019-07-30 | updated on 2020-07-08

Squirrels Taught Me About Women and Food

DISCLAIMER: I am not equating a squirrel to a woman. That is not a fair, nor equal comparison by no means. The comparisons mentioned below are for the sake of illustration and for laughter. Background I'm sure you have seen the image above...
A 6 minute read | posted on 2019-07-03 11:49:56 | updated on 2020-02-01 16:16:16

3 Benefits of Doing Something Different When Stuck

As some of you may know, I build automations as part of my day job. Sometimes, I do find myself getting stuck on building an automation. When it comes to programming, you can do an online search and find an example or the exact code for the thing...
A 5 minute read | posted on 2019-06-13 12:58:19 | updated on 2020-02-01 11:42:47

Identify Electrical Circuits and Label Breaker Panel

Identify Electrical Circuits and Label Breaker Panel Summary This video describes how I went about identifying the breakers in my breaker panel. The panel only had 4 of the 26 breakers labeled. So by labelling, it would be easier to know which...
A 12 minute read | posted on 2019-06-11 | updated on 2019-12-22

7 Steps for More Steps

Background As research has frequently mentioned, one of the many keys to remaining healthy is to have an active lifestyle. One of the recommendations to achieve this is to walk at least 10,000 steps per day, which equates to about 5 miles. Make...
A 6 minute read | posted on 2019-05-09 06:00:00 | updated on 2020-02-01 13:22:27

4 Steps to Change the Battery in Nissan Altima Intelligent Key

4 Steps to Change the Battery in Nissan Altima Intelligent Key Step 1 1) Low Key Battery message. When this message appears, you need to get a replacement battery and change it. Replacement battery information is below in Step 2 1a) Other error...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2019-05-02 | updated on 2020-07-08

Weber Charcoal Chimney Review and First Use

Weber Charcoal Chimney Review and First Use Summary In this video, I give my review of the Weber Charcoal Chimney. The Weber Charcoal Chimney allows you to light charcoal without the use of lighter fluid or other chemicals. I also do a...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2019-04-27 | updated on 2020-07-08

How to Start A Garden in 8 Steps

How to Get Started With A Garden Spring... all that pollen lets us know that is here. I recently got asked by a high school classmate how I got started with my garden and any tips that I could provide them with to help them get started with hers....
A 8 minute read | posted on 2019-04-10 | updated on 2021-06-01

Containers vs In Ground Gardening

If you live in a small space container gardening works very great. However, there are some advantages and disadvantages to doing container gardening or gardening in pots versus putting your fruits and vegetables directly into the ground. In this...
A 4 minute read | posted on 2019-03-19 | updated on 2021-06-01

Manual Tree Branch Tear Down

No commentary is done in the video. Just a demostration showing the process of what I did get it done. Just removing a dead and decaying tree limb from a tree. The limb has been dead for some time. It was resting a branch that was in front of it....
A 1 minute read | posted on 2019-03-16 | updated on 2021-06-01

Sow, A Planting Companion

What is the Cooperative Extension? The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is based out of Auburn University (it hurts to type that... Roll Tide... That's better!) and Alabama A and M University. Each county has a county extension office...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2019-03-11 | updated on 2021-06-01

Building Raised Garden Beds

This year, I decided to expand the growing space for my garden. As some of you may know, I have, for years, planted my fruits and vegetables mostly in containers and pots instead of directly in the ground. I’ve learned a number of lessons about...
A 5 minute read | posted on 2019-03-11 | updated on 2021-06-01

Greens From the Winter Garden

As we enter March, it's almost time to prepare for the summer garden. Weather Summary However, Mother Nature decided to throw a curve ball with an unexpected frost after severe weather. I did see a post on social media about the groundhog got the...
A 1 minute read | posted on 2019-03-04 | updated on 2021-06-01

Every Gardener Needs a Journal

It's important to document your garden observations because humans are forgetful. Think about it... do you really remember how much fertilizer that you used 4 years ago on the tomato plants? Probably not. Do you remember how many times that...
A 2 minute read | posted on 2019-02-23 | updated on 2021-06-01

Remove Water from Car Trunk

Remove Water from Car Trunk Summary This video covers how you can permanently prevent water from staying in your trunk. The vehicle in this video that this repair is being done to, is a 2013 Nissan Altima. Video
A 1 minute read | posted on 2019-02-09 | updated on 2020-07-08

Make Your Crockpot Smarter with a Timer

Summary This tutorial shows how using a timer on a "dumb" crockpot instantly makes it smarter. This is a better alternative than buying another crockpot that has the automatic shut off functionality built in. Video